Surface cleaner



Feb. 2a, 1926.

. W. B. LYNCH SURFACE CLEANER Filed April 15, 1925 INVENTOR I I ZLL/AM5. Awvo ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED sra'rss WILLIAM B. LYNCH, OF BROQKLYN, NEW YORK.

snnracn CLEANER,

Applidationhled April 15, 1925. Serial No. 22,331.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borou h of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and l ltate of New York, have invented a new andImproved Surface Cleaner, of which the followlng 1s a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to surface cleaners, and has for its object theprovision of a device having a pair of closely associated concavo-convexflexible members, the cooperating free or working edges of said 'membersexerting varying pressures consecutlvely on the. surface to be cleaned.I

Another object of the invention is the pro" vision of a device having apair of closely associated flexible blades curved rearwardly from theline of action of cleaning so that when the free working edges areapplied they will frictionally engage the surface to be cleaned atsubstantially a right angle to the surface instead of being draggedacross said surface and thereby provide for a more thorough cleaning.

lVith the above recited and other objects,

in View, the invention resides in the novel construction set forth inthe following specification, particularly pointed out in the ap pendedclaims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understoodthat the right is reserved to embodiments other than those actuallyillustrated herein, to the full extent indicated by the general meaningof the terms in which the claims are ex pressed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of thescrubbing head of the mop showing the position of the blades applied toa surface and before the mop is propelled.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the scrubbing head of themop showing the position of the blades when in cleaning action.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the head of the mop.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, 1O designates a blockforming part of the head which has a flat outer surface, as shown at 11.The inner surface, as shown at 12, may be rounded 05 in any desiredmanner, and a passage 13' is provided located centrally of the block andpassing entirely through the same to receive the lower end of the handle14. i

A pair of blades 15 and 16 forming the cleaning elements of my deviceare secured to the flat surface 11 of the block 10 by means of a cleat17 and screws 18. The cleat 17 may be made of wood or metal or any othermaterial suitable for the purpose and extends longitudinally of theouter surface ofthe block and terminates short of the edges of theblades. The cleat ismade relatively thin in order not to interfere withthe operation of the blades when applied to a working surface '19.

It will be noted that the blades are relatively straight intermediatetheir ends,-and where connected to the block 10 the free pro- 'jectingportions 20 of the blades are concavo-.

convex in cross section with the working edges 21 rounded. A wire orcord 22 is inserted between the inner faces of the free portions 20 ofthe blades and at points where the blades are connected to the block 10so that the free portions of the blades will be slightly spaced fromeach other in order to prevent'interference of the blades when inoperation. A screw 23 is passed through the block 10 and transverselythrough the lower end of the handle 14 for aiding in securing the handlein position.

In the operation of my device, either of the oppositeworking edges 21 ofthe blades are applied to the working surface, as shown in Figure 1,with the blades assuming a position which is directed outwardly from thehandle 14 with the rear portions of the working edges resting on thefloor. However, when the head is forced forwardly for cleaning thesurface, the lower ends of the free portions 20 of the blades willassume a position which is at substantially. a right angle to theworking surface so that the working edges 21 of the blades will be indirect and frictional contact with the surface to be cleaned.

While the blades 15 and 16 are made of flexible material, they havesufficient rigidity to prevent the free portions 20 from assuming aposition which is in line with the intermediate flat portions of theblades and thusv prevent the working edges of the blades from beingdragged over the floor rather than havingits usual frictional engagementwith the workinglsurface when the free portions 20 of the blades are atright angles to the surface to be cleaned.

Having thus described my I invention, I claim:

1. A surface cleaning device comprising a block, a pluralityofcloselyaassociated.flexis ble blades secured to the block, theportions of the blades free of the block being-concavo--- convex incross section andextending forwardly of the block, said concavo-convexblades cooperating with each other to cause the free ends'of the bladesto maintain a positive contact with the floor.

2.- A surface cleaning device comprising a block, a plurality'of closelyassociated flexible blades secured to the block, the portions oftheblades free of the block being concavo con-vex 1n cross section, andextending fOlwardly 0t the-block, said concave-convex wardly of theblock,- and a wire located ,be-.

tween the blades at points adjacent the edges of the block for slightlyspacing the blades froineach other.

4:. A surface cleaning device comprising a block, a plurality of closelyassociated flexible bladessecured tohthe block, the free portions of theblades projecting from the adjacent edges of the block and curvedoutwardly from said block whereby when the working edges are applied toa surface to be cleaned the curved portions will cooperate with eachother to assume a substantially righttangular position with respect tothe surfaceso that the working-edges will frictio'nally engage suchsurface.

5. In a surface cleaning device comprising an oblong. block, a pluralityof closely associated flexible blades having fiat portions in engagementwith the longitudinal outer surface ofsaid block, the blades beingprovided with portions extending beyond the longitudinal'edges of theblock'and curved outwardly from saidfbloclgacleat extendinglongitudinallyof the blades, means for securing the cleat andlikewisethe blades in rigid engagement with the bloclnand a wireextending,aroundithe block and between the blades Iforslightly spacingthe blades from each other. 7

7 WILLIAM B. LYNCH.

